EVANS Ganapamo has his eyes cast on playing in his third Basketball Africa League (BAL) and he has already suited up for a new team. He recently joined Bangui Sporting Club of the Central African Republic (CAR) club and stated his move was inspired by a sense of patriotism and a desire to connect with his roots.
Joining Bangui also brought an end to his successful spell with South Africa’s Cape Town Tigers.
Before talking to The Big Tip Off about Bangui’s Road to BAL 2024 aspirations, and their slight wobble at the start of the qualifiers, the 29-year-old reflected on his final season with the Tigers.
Ahead of the BAL’s third season, the Tigers retooled and made notable additions that included Zaire Wade, son of Hall of Famer Dwayne Wade and All-American Samkelo Cele. In the coaching department, former LA Lakers Assistant Coach Rasheed Hazard was brought in. The changes made Tigers a team to look out for in the third instalment of the BAL.
“Last season, there was just a lot going on,” said the shooting guard. “I think we had the pieces to make things happen, but we were also a young team. Maybe a we could have kept some of the players.”
The Tigers made it to their second playoffs, but the injury bug bit – hampering the Cape team’s progress. Ganapamo was also among the casualties. He had hoped they would improve from their playoff position last year, but it was not to be. He could only watch from the sidelines as the Tigers fell to Mali’s Stade Malien.
“Overall, it definitely didn’t go the way I thought it would. I thought that we would have done better than the first season. So it was definitely bitter sweet,” said France-born Ganapamo.
By the end of the BAL season, Ganapamo worked his way back to game shape. His focus was on playing in the third season of the BAL. However, this off-season much like the previous one had something different to offer for him. He got a chance to play for Montreal Alliance in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL).
“I went through my workouts and started feeling a lot better. Naturally, I wanted to get some games in and the opportunity to play in Canada came along. I wanted to know what how my body felt and if I was ready for the following season,” said Ganapamo.
The guard played with the team during the summer months before returning to the continent, only this time, it was to the CAR. So far, things have been looking up for Ganapamo.
“I didn’t know that I would be leaving the Tigers because the move to Bangui happened at the last minute,” said Ganapamo, who has represented the CAR at the international level. “Initially, I just went to play in the country’s tournament.”
Ganapamo joined the team on his birthday in late August. He helped them win the national title, which punched their ticket to The Road To BAL 2024. The team ignited local fans as they rallied behind Ganapamo and Bangui.
“It was amazing. They said that it was the most amount of fans that venue had had in 16 years,” recalls Ganapamo. “It was a crazy experience and a very big moment. That made me want to play there even more. After seeing the type of support I had, I was inspired to come back home.”
Playing a part in Bangui’s success fuelled his decision to help them reach Season 4 of the BAL.
“Cape Town was a great situation, I have nothing bad to say about them,” said Ganapamo. “I just felt like I have to help my country – the country where both my parents were born, to make the BAL. That meant a lot to me at the end of the day.”
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For Ganapamo, there was also another motivating factor superseding basketball. The opportunity to connect with family, who still reside in the CAR.
“It was actually my first time in the country. I went there with my mother who was born there and grew up there. It was very emotional for her,” recalls Ganapamo. “She showed me the house where she grew up. I also got to see my grandmother on my dad’s side for the first time.”
While making the most of his time in the CAR, things on the basketball front were also moving. For their Road To BAL campaign, Bangui signed the likes of Rolly Fula, who played for Espoir Fukash in Season 2 of the BAL. The experienced Liz Mills was also appointed as head coach for the qualifiers in Cameroon, which took place in the first week of October.
Ganapamo and Bangui got off to a bumpy start in an opening loss to the Gabonese side, Espoir Basket Club (EBC).
“I think we came in just way too confident. We got to the game thinking we had already won. We played a team that was aggressive and athletic. Before we knew it, we were down 15 and then down 20. It happened so fast,” said Ganapamo. “You can’t take any team for granted. On our end we took it too lightly. Maybe we thought it was the first round and it was going to be an easy game and it just does not work that way in basketball.”
Bangui were surprisingly down by 24 points at half time, but they did have their runs and they tried to cut the lead in the second half, unfortunately their fightback came a little too late and the final buzzer sounded with them losing 73-69. This was an uncharacteristic loss for a side deemed favourites in the group and for Ganapamo, the loss was a much needed wake up call.
“I want to say I am kind of glad that we lost. The defeat woke us up to the fact that from the jump, no matter what team you’re playing, you have to bring your best game. We were just too comfortable.”
The side bounced back, treating every game as if it were a final and this helped them to finish top of their group. The final game of Group E, against the undefeated hosts Forces, Armees et Police (FAP) , was a true nail biter. It came down to a pair of free-throws which crowned Bangui the winners. Both teams punched their tickets to the Elite 16 Division West. The game itself was an indicator of what Bangui and Mills need to work on to perform better in the next round.
As for Ganapamo, he plans on bringing on more intensity to the Elite 16, which begins on Tuesday (31 October). Bangui are in Group B of the Elite 16 and open against Guinea club Seydou Legacy Athlétique Club (SLAC). Their next group fixture (November 1) is a clash against ABC Fighters (Cote d’Ivoire). The final group game for Bangui is on Thursday (November 2), against FUS Rabat (Morocco).
With the rapid growth of basketball in Africa, Ganapamo hopes to lead by example. He wants to show that professional athletes can have successful careers on this continent.
“I have a duty as a role model to lead as an example… To show the younger generation that you can play in Africa and do very well,” said Ganapamo. “I hope that I am giving them hope. If I can do it, they can do it too. It is just how I approach the game and life.”
Very well written. It covers the essentials ans keeps the reader interested at all times